FAQs

If you do decide to sign up, your details will be entered into our database. Often we advertise for babies younger than we need them as we have quite a narrow testing window in terms of age for some studies. When your child reaches the right age, if we are still seeing babies at that point someone will call you to arrange an appointment: either for you to visit the University, for us to run an online study, or for us to visit you at home, depending on the study. We will arrange a time that is the most convenient for you and for your baby’s daily routine. After the phone call, you will be sent an information sheet by email or by post with a letter confirming your appointment. Before your visit or appointment, you will be asked to sign some consent forms.

Can we change our mind?

Taking part in our research is always entirely voluntary. If you give us your details but then decide you no longer want to or cannot take part when we call you to offer a place in a study, this is absolutely fine. Even if you have started to participate but then change your mind during the session or between sessions, you are free to withdraw at any time before the end of the final session and without giving a reason.

How long do visits last?

This depends on the study. Many of our experimental studies - both in the lab and over Zoom - only last for a few minutes, but you should allow about half an hour in total for the visit to the University as some babies are asleep when they arrive or need a quick feed before we begin. Some studies also involve us filming you in the BabyLab, or recording you over Zoom, which means your visit may last up to an hour. Home visits usually last around 45 minutes. The toddler tasks at the University will take about 30-45 minutes. However, we will give you an indication of a timeframe for the study you are participating in through a detailed information sheet, which we will send by email before the study takes place.

Will my child’s participation in the research be kept confidential?

Any publication of the data or the findings of our studies will maintain strict confidentiality as to your identity and that of your child. You can choose whether or not to allow your child’s video and audio footage to be used (under a pseudonym) as part of any teaching or research material. All data is stored on a secure password-protected computer server accessible only to the researchers involved in the study.

What about child protection?

You will be with your baby at all times and children will never be left with an unsupervised adult.

Do I get paid?

Whether and how much you get paid depends on the study. We will let you know about this in the information sheet, which we will send by email before the study takes place.

How can I find the lab at the University?

Follow the How to Find Us link on our webpage for a map showing the location of the Department of Language and Linguistic Science. The BabyLab is on the second floor of B Block in Vanbrugh College. (There is a lift.) Full directions will be sent in an email or letter when an appointment has been made for your visit.

What are the possible benefits of taking part?

We hope you will find it interesting and fun to take part in our studies. You will also be contributing to our understanding of the very early stages of language development. We will tell you about our results as the studies progress in regular newsletters.

Can any caregiver bring a child for the session?

It’s absolutely fine for any caregiver (grandparent, aunt, nanny etc.) to bring the baby to the University, as long as one of the child’s parents has signed our consent forms. It is also fine to conduct home sessions with another caregiver.

What happens when the research is complete?

We will be happy to send you a summary of our findings when a study is complete, some time in the future. We will also keep you updated with regular newsletters as the studies progress.

Is it safe for my child to take part?

Our studies have been reviewed by the departmental ethics committee who are satisfied that there is absolutely no risk of harm to either you or your child. All studies are completely non-invasive. If you have any concerns about a specific procedure then please let us know - we will be happy to explain more about what it involves and why it is not harmful to your child or you.

We are a bilingual family. Can we still take part?

This will depend on the study. Unfortunately, most of our studies at the moment are for babies and toddlers from English-speaking families. This is because we often need the language children hear around them to be consistent across participants.

What if my child is ill on the day?

We don’t expect you to go ahead with visits if your child is poorly. Just ring the mobile number of the person who has been in contact with you, or send us an email, and we’ll reschedule as soon as your child is feeling better.

I signed up for a study ages ago and I haven't heard from you yet - why?

We want to include as many babies as possible in our studies. Please note that some of our baby studies are for infants as old as 12 months so it may be a little while before you hear from us. Unfortunately we may not be able to include everyone who has registered so far due to our funding running out, or the study ending. We do apologise for any disappointment caused.

What if my baby is hungry or needs changing during a visit to the lab?

Infants often need feeding or changing before a visit, and this is not a problem. We are happy for you to feed your baby in the lab and we have a changing mat for you to use if required.

What if there is a problem?

Any complaint about the way in which you or your child have been dealt with during the study will be addressed. In the event of any complaints arising concerning this research, please address them to Professor Monika Schmid, Head of Department (linguistics@york.ac.uk), or to Dr Simon Roessig, Chair of the Language and Linguistic Science Ethics Committee (linguistics-ethics@york.ac.uk).